The Discovery Process: External Influences on Refinement of the Venture Idea

11 Pages Posted: 28 Feb 2011

See all articles by Per Davidsson

Per Davidsson

Queensland University of Technology - Brisbane Graduate School of Business

Erik Hunter

Jönköping International Business School

Magnus Klofsten

University of Linkoping

Date Written: 2006

Abstract

In this paper we use institutional theory for examining how and to what extent external pressure leads to changes in the venture idea during the start-up and early life of new, knowledge-intensive ventures. From a population of 321 young, knowledge-intensive firms that underwent a training program at Linköping University, we have telephone interview data on 167. The results confirmed that the venture idea had undergone more change in ventures that had more external owners, a dominant customer, and an incubator location. Our results imply that institutional theory is a meaningful tool for understanding why and how venture ideas change over time.

Keywords: Entrepreneurship

JEL Classification: M13

Suggested Citation

Davidsson, Per and Hunter, Erik and Klofsten, Magnus, The Discovery Process: External Influences on Refinement of the Venture Idea (2006). Babson College, Babson Kauffman Entrepreneurship Research Conference (BKERC), 2002-2006, Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=1768137

Per Davidsson (Contact Author)

Queensland University of Technology - Brisbane Graduate School of Business ( email )

Brisbane
Australia
+61 7 3864 2051 (Phone)
+61 7 3864 1299 (Fax)

HOME PAGE: http://www.qut.edu.au/ph_server_query.do

Erik Hunter

Jönköping International Business School ( email )

Jönköping, 55111
Sweden

Magnus Klofsten

University of Linkoping ( email )

Överstegatan 30
S-581 83 Linkoping
Sweden
+46-13-28 1785 (Phone)

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